Crane Malfunction in Oklahoma City Causes 150-Gallon Diesel Spilled

KOCO News reported on Thursday, July 21, 2016, at 3:27 p.m. CDT, an incident of industrial negligence took place in the downtown area of Oklahoma City. According to sources, one of the cranes deployed by the Oklahoma Territory Construction Company to the construction site, located at 3837 West Reno. KOCO reported that the machine malfunctioned just before 2:30 p.m. and tipped over.

No injuries were reported. However, according to the company officials and construction workers present, the crane’s malfunction caused approximately 150 gallons of fuel. The fluids leaked included diesel, along with transmission and hydraulic fluids. After the incident occurred, crews that deal with hazardous materials (Hazmat) were immediately deployed to contain the spill.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) governs the method for cleaning spills and maintaining standards of efficiency. The DEQ states that in the case of diesel spills the contaminated soil must be excavated into containers or wrapped in plastic sheeting, at least 10 ml thick. Once the area is contained, the remaining soil will be tested in a minimum of five places, for every 20-foot square plot affected, to assure that the soil is no longer contaminated.